1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nonreturn warning device for an intravenous drip infusion, and more particularly, to a device whose dripping tube is sealed to prevent air from entering into the blood vessel and, meanwhile, a warning device is activated after all the infusion solution has flow out. Therefore, the nurse can be reminded of a proper handling. Moreover, this nonreturn warning device is repeatedly usable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It""s common to administer an intravenous drip infusion for medication. When the intravenous drip is finished, the fluid pressure in the injection tube is suddenly lowered because the infusion solution is used up. Meanwhile, the fluid pressure of the blood is also reduced so that the blood comes back to the injection tube. Even, when the infusion solution is used up, the air in the injection tube will enter into the blood vessel of the patient, thereby causing medical troubles or even endangering the life of the patient. Hence, it""s necessary to check the whole process during the intravenous drip infusion to and the above-mentioned, thereby occupying huge chunks of a nurse""s working and leading to a great pressure.
In addition to the costly electronic devices to monitor the rate and the duration of the intravenous drip, a few monitoring devices with more simple configuration have been disclosed. Taiwan Pat. No. 381494 (see FIGS. 1 through 3, corresponding to original FIGS. 2, 5, 6) describes a monitoring device which includes:
a main body 2 having a first half housing 20 and a second half housing 21, an longitudinal accommodation 200 in connection with an angle channel 203 extending to the bottom end of the main body 2, a conduit tee 30 and an elbow joint 31 being fitted to the connection position between the accommodation 200 and the angle channel 203, a buzzer 22 being provided at one side of the monitoring device while two leads of the buzzer 22 being connected to two indirect points at the bottom of the conduit tee 30;
a pointed bar 3 whose bottom end is secured to the conduit tee 30 and whose top end is inserted into the solution bottle, said pointed bar 3 having an outlet 36 arranged at the bottom thereof and corresponding to the side leg of the elbow joint 31 which is in connection with an solution tube 32, a number of longitudinal inlets 33 being provided on the pointed bar 3; and
a magnetic induction assembly 4 having a float 34 floatable with the liquid surface and fitted to the inside of the pointed bar 3, a first magnet 40 fixed at the bottom of the float 34 and second magnets 411, 412 which are arranged in the accommodation 200 and move a movable piece 410 upward and downward.
When the float 34 is lowered to a certain level, the first magnet 40 will attract the second magnet 411 upwards to the bottom of the conduit tee 30. Meanwhile, an electric connection is created between both contact points through the conductivity of the second magnet 411; therefore, the buzzer 32 is automatically activated to give out a warning sound. However, the above-mentioned configuration is not only precise but also complicated and its production cost is high so that the product is not competitive. Moreover, the small float 34 and the magnets 40, 411, 412 don""t react sensitively because of the insufficiency of the buoyancy and the magnetic force. In addition, this device can""t be reused after sterilization so that the disposable feature will increase the cost burden of the users.
Another prior art, like Taiwan Pat. No. 394026, describes another monitoring device (see FIG. 4) which includes:
an insertion member 20 having an inserting head 21;
an accommodation 30 having a reducing pipe 31 at the bottom thereof for connecting with an injection hose 60 while the insertion member 20 can be stuck to the opening at the top of the accommodation 30; and
a stopper 40 with buoyancy disposed inside the accommodation 30.
The accommodation 30 furthermore includes a reducing conic channel 32 at the bottom thereof for connection with a smaller channel 33, and the reducing conic channel 32 has a circular engaging groove 321 at the bottom thereof. When all the infusion solution has flowed out and the solution in the accommodation 30 is reduced to a certain level, the stopper 40 will be engaged into the circular engaging groove 321 of the reducing conic channel 32 of the accommodation 30, thereby forming a sealing state, keeping the air above the remaining solution around the stopper 40 and preventing air from coming into the patient""s blood vessel through the injection hose 60. However, the stopper 40 can""t exactly seal the circular engaging groove 321 of the accommodation 30 due to the processing precision and the structural restriction, thereby creating clearance therebetween so that the air could enter into the blood vessel.
It is a primary object according to the present invention to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks and to provide a nonreturn warning device for an intravenous drip infusion which includes a top member and a bottom member both of which forms an accommodation which has an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe at the top and bottom thereof. The outlet pipe includes a flange around which a recess is provided. A conic valve with a middle hole is arranged onto the flange. A float with a cylindrical stopper is received in the accommodation formed after connection of the top member and the bottom member. The cylindrical stopper falls down against the middle hole of the conic valve when the float sinks with the fluid surface in the accommodation. And the outlet pipe can be choked when all the solution flows out, thereby preventing air from entering into the blood vessel.
It""s another object of the present invention to provide a nonreturn warning device for an intravenous drip infusion which has a warning device for clamping the top and bottom members in position. The warning device contains a magnetic reed switch and the float has a magnetic element. When the float sinks with the fluid surface in the accommodation, the magnetic element approaches the magnetic reed switch and a buzzer is activated to give out a warning sound.
It""s a further object of the present invention to provide a nonreturn warning device for an intravenous drip infusion in which the warning device is provided with a radio transmitter or a earphone jack in order to facilitate the reception of the warning signal for indicating the end the intravenous drip infusion.